


Midnight's Covered in Blood and Metal

by Glacialis_Quasar



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Gen, Horror, Minor Character Death, Post-Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-29
Updated: 2014-08-29
Packaged: 2018-02-15 05:52:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2218194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glacialis_Quasar/pseuds/Glacialis_Quasar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the Promised Day War they had time to breath, to relax. At least, up to a point.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Midnight's Covered in Blood and Metal

Death, when considered as a concept, was infinitely terrifying. The end of one’s self wasn’t often a topic approached lightly. But the fear of it as a concept fell woefully short of the way it constricted one’s throat and sapped their strength when it came after them in the dark of night. When the absent flickering of the streetlights only served to provide him with occasional glimpses, little flashes here and there that did nothing to fully illuminate what it was that was tracking him down. A shock of white teeth, the thudding steps, the way any time it got close he could feel its too hot breath on the back of his neck, the taste of blood in his mouth from where he’d tripped and bit down on his tongue some time ago. He couldn’t stop, not even with the way his lungs screamed out for air with every labored step. Glancing back once, it was a mistake. The front of his shoe caught on an unexpected jagged part of the sidewalk and he went pitching forward, slamming against the ground with a heavy thunk and a pained yelp. 

The thing made a sound only then, a deep, rumbling growl as it caught up with him. He tried to get to his feet, pushing himself up to his knees and going still when he felt the hot breath on the back of his neck. Reaching for a pocket desperately, he grasped for some of the chalk inside too late. He never had the chance to scream before the thing’s teeth dug into the back of his neck. 

“Not… him.” It spoke laboriously when the man had stopped screaming, nudging the corpse with its nose. With a forlorn huff, the creature continued on it’s way – leaving the corpse alone.

~~~

“That’s the seventh one in the past three days.” Roy frowned, looking over the report and shaking his head. “Has anyone been able to get a hold of Fullmetal?” Glancing up, he fixed each of those present with a piercing look until Breda shook his head slowly.

“No Sir. We’ve tried several routes, including calling Winry and Alphonse, but neither of them had seen or heard from him for a few days either. It’s worrying, with what each of the dead have shared.”

Roy nodded. “Keep the notices up. We’re going to have to bump up security and establish a curfew for now; I won’t have this evolving into another incident like the one with Scar.” Orders given, the others filed out of his office and Roy sighed. “No security even after the Promised Day, mmm? Can’t say I’m surprised. ” Looking at the report again, he took in the details once more. 

Five deaths in the past three deaths, each of them bearing automail or a red article of clothing. That was the only real connection between them, other than the method of death always involving a a bite with human teeth. Both of the things that connected them, however, made Roy concerned for the Fullmetal Alchemist. Bearing both automail and that red coat of his… if whoever this thing was using the two to track down people to kill then it was either after someone bearing both – like Ed – or after someone with one or the other. Either way, both options put Ed in danger from a murderer, likely a serial killer. 

It was reminding him uncomfortably of the events leading up to the Promised Day War. He wasn’t sure that Amestris as a whole was ready for another one of those, much less anyone that had survived through the aftermath of it. Getting up from his chair he began to pace back and forth, running over the information over and over again in his mind. It wasn’t enough to begin to give him an inkling of where to start.

He was, though, shaken from his thought process when someone came skidding into his office. The new secretary, he realized, and frowned a little when her name wasn’t one that he could recall off the top of his head. 

“Fuhrer sir! There’s a situation!” Panting, the woman clutched at the clipboard she held and worked her mouth to try and explain better. She was thankful for the way that Roy waited while she held up a hand, and swallowing she elaborated. “Someone defaced Brigadier General Hughes’s grave!”

That froze Roy in place mid step and, losing balance temporarily; he slammed a hand down on his desk to prevent him falling over. “W-what?”

The secretary nodded quickly, her face pale. “I uh… made sure to get a picture so you didn’t have to go out there if you didn’t want to?” She pulled the picture from her clipboard to show it to Roy with wide eyes.

He clenched his teeth together, the staccato of him grinding them together filling the silence as he took in the details of the defacement. It wasn’t permanent, but the fact that someone had thought to do something like that had him swallowing a surge of rage he hadn’t felt the likes of since he’d attacked Envy. 

There, on the gravestone, written in blood and dirt, were the letters ‘P I R Y’. 

His hand began to shake as he handed the picture back, shoulders tense. “Is there any more details? Do we have any suspects?”

The girl shook her head. “No. What we do know is the groundskeeper overheard what sounded like someone asking for their daddy almost the entire night. We already looked into what his wife and child were doing, and they were both confirmed to be at home and asleep at the time so it couldn’t have been them.”

“You investigated his widow and child for defacing his grave?!” Roy’s attention snapped to the secretary, who yelped.

“Uhm… yes? It was the right course of action. I’ll uh… go now.” All but bolting from the office, the secretary let out a breath as soon as the door slammed shut behind her. Her boss was terrifying when he got angry, she wasn’t gonna lie, but it was a good job and she could afford maintenance on hers and her baby sibling’s automail regularly working for the Fuhrer like this, so she wasn’t going to complain either. 

Glancing up at the time, she realized her shift was over anyway. Glancing briefly at the announcement on the wall, posted redundantly so everyone had a chance to see it, she nodded. It was warning about going out after dark, thanks to the recent murders, and mentioned that all of those dead had either had automail or red clothing or both. That was exactly why the Fuhrer had hired a second secretary and shifted her to daytime only duty, just to make sure she had enough time to get home safely. 

Collecting her things, she hummed a little. It was her little brother’s birthday, after all, and she wanted to make sure she had time to go and get a gift for the little one before she hit home. Flexing her automail hand, she decided to leave her coat and head out once she’d signed out and waved to the other secretary on the way out. She continued to hum to herself as she walked down the street, going over the different things she could get for her sister while she went. Deciding on a nice cake and a new little toy, she stopped by a toy shop and bought a new dollie. Next up was the cake store and, glancing up at the waning sunshine, she reasoned she’d have to pick quickly. It was lucky that home wasn’t very far away, if nothing else, because it meant that she could run home before dark if it came to that.

There was a line at the cake store but since it was moving quickly she ignored that and picked up a pretty cake covered in white and pink icing to take home. Paying for it with a handful of cens, she noticed abruptly that it had gotten darker a lot faster than she had planned for through the window to the side. Swallowing, she took the box the cake was in and stepped outside. 

Home wasn’t far, she’d be fine, she really would be. Repeating that over and over in her head, she began to walk in the light given off by the streetlamps. The streets were creepily deserted thanks to the announcements and the Fuhrer’s determination at keeping everyone safe. It had worked wonderfully, she had to admit. The first day had been bloody, the first four deaths had happened during the night and the next day Roy announced more caution to be taken. It’d dropped to two the second night, and the night before was just one. Her odds of getting attacked were pretty low, she reasoned, though she didn’t slow her pace heading back to her home. She didn’t want her sister to worry after all!

So when the growl rumbled through the night she felt her heart skip a beat. Glancing backwards, she spotted the white eyes and picked up her pace. The thing behind her picked up its pace as well, panting breaths reminding her eerily of her little sister. 

Her quickened pace turned into a run within a few more steps, a frantic fear overcoming her. She didn’t want to leave her sister all alone! Sure it was her adoptive sister, but the young Ishvalen girl hadn’t celebrated her birthday in so long, she would not be the cause for the young woman to continue not celebrating!

She tripped and went sprawling, tears streaming down her face and ruining the mascara she’d been wearing. Turning around quickly, she realized the thing was already on her. 

“Bro…ther. Where… Bro…ther?” The thing spoke slowly, as if it knew few words and was desperately trying to convey something with the few words it did know.

The secretary reached slowly for the weapon she carried, confusion written on her face. “I don’t know! Please don’t eat me!” 

The creature was still until the glint of light on the secretary’s automail hand caught its attention. Lunging forward, the woman’s scream was cut off by a sickening crunch. 

Again, the creature nudged the body and whined mournfully. “Not… him. …Hungry.” Settling down on its haunches, the creature began to eat the cake.

~~~

Trains to Central weren’t supposed to just stop, much less get derailed entirely and that the power in the nearby town was out was just a kick to those already down. Ed had volunteered to walk to the next station when no one else had been about to, and realized only afterwards that the next station was IN Central. So when he arrived at last to the edges of the city it was already after the station had closed. Writing up a note was no big deal, nor was pasting it up where he was sure someone would see it while he continued on. If nothing else he could check in with the military headquarters and let them know about the train’s troubles, then find a place to rest after the several days’ worth of traveling on foot.

Fixing his jacket, he turned and headed towards the big squat building. It was a little odd how no one was out and about; the sun had set maybe an hour ago – not long enough for everyone to be safe at home. Had something happened that he was unaware of? He certainly hoped not.

As he walked deeper into Central, he was noticing that people were certainly home. Windows that shivered as people peeked outside to see who was out there, doors that opened fractionally and got slammed shut after seconds. It was eerie, and beginning to set Ed on edge. However, the moment he heard the labored breathing and hiccuping sobs he moved towards the source quickly. Someone might need his help!

When he reached the source he stopped short, eyes widening and mouth falling open.

The creature looked up from where it was nudging the corpse of the secretary, white eyes focusing on Ed. It got up and wagged the shaggy tail. Mud and blood covered it’s paws, dried as if several hours old. “Big… Bro…ther. Big Brother! Play? Play with me big brother!” As it spoke, crumbs of cake and droplets of blood fell from its mouth. 

Edward screamed.

**Author's Note:**

> ...Just a drabble. I don't currently have any intentions of expanding it, but that might happen at a later date maybe. (Don't read the following if you haven't finished the fic!) And as clarification, the P I R Y on the grave was ...the creature's attempt at writing PLAY.


End file.
